Irish President urges Ireland not to be frightened

23/3/2015. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins arrives at the Belgium Embassy in Dublin to sign the book of condolences a day after the after the Brussels terrorist attack. Photo: RollingNews.ie

President Michael D Higgins has urged people not to live in fear of a terrorist attack.

He made his comments after signing the book of condolences at the Belgian embassy in Dublin on Wednesday.

“Like all terribly destructive acts of terrorism directed against civilians, it has no serious purpose other than the creation of such fears as would dislodge people.

Photo: RollingNews.ie

“A hundred and fifty years of theory will tell you that these acts are desperate and hopeless and useless. They always create such fear as creates the capacity for a reaction that would in effect not be entirely positive.

“These actions are terrible actions, they are cowardly actions but it’s very important not to allow them to establish the fear which is their purpose.”
People should demonstrate that they want to live in peace, he said.

Photo: RollingNews.ie

“At the end of the day the great response always to terror acts against civilians is that civilians have shown in their resilience that their values are more important. They are the values that endure from one generation to another.

“We reaffirm our commitment to wanting to live together in peace and being able to disagree in peace and none of this is associated frankly with any fundamental belief system or anything else.”

Photo: RollingNews.ie

Ireland’s European Commissioner Phil Hogan said:

“This is not a time for knee-jerk reactions, political scoring or empty rhetoric. Instead, EU leaders must work together and redouble their combined efforts to tackle the threat of terror. Any actions taken should be influenced by the same principles of peace and co-operation that have characterised the EU since its foundation.”